KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Some communities in West Michigan are spending Memorial Day cleaning up after severe storms rolled through on Sunday.
While thunderstorms hit much of West Michigan Sunday evening, southeastern Kent County appears to have received the brunt of the storms. Heavy rain and strong, damaging winds left some areas covered in debris.
In the Caledonia area, resident Joshua Nobel said the storm impacted his neighborhood by knocking down power lines and uprooting trees, which blocked many roads.
"The wind was blowing extremely hard. And it wasn't just a normal wind when the storm comes in, when it's just a quick front that blows through," Nobel said. "It was sustained for about 10 minutes. We were watching tree branches flying. We lost two or three trees and worried about the barn rails and stuff, but thankfully, no other damage."
Memorial Day weekend storm damage in Kent Co.
Nobel said he ducked for cover as the wind caused tree branches to crash into the windows of his home.
"This is the strongest storm that I have been in personally," he said.
In the aftermath, Nobel—who owns a tree service—used his equipment to clear a downed tree from a nearby road. He said he expects it to be a busy week as residents begin to clean up.
He said power was knocked out to his entire neighborhood. About 10,000 people were without power immediately following Sunday's storms. Consumers Energy is estimating the power to be fully restored by the end of Memorial Day.
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